Tuesday Trivia: Ever wonder how potholes got their name?

But if you’re thinking potholes are only a modern-day driving hazard, think again. Potholes could be found in roads built by the Roman Empire.

“In those days, roads were built on a bed of clay, topped with gravel, and once again topped by hard-baked bricks, and potholes were where potters would break open the road’s surface to get at the good potting clay found underneath,” according to daysoftheyear.com. “This was a great source of clay for the potters and a miserable source of trouble for the chariots and wagons that traveled those roads.”

In Kingsport, it’s easy to report a pothole to the city public works department. You can do this by downloading the YourGOV app from the app store and making a photo of the pothole with your smart phone. You can call City Hall directly to report a pothole as well.

Winter, with snow, ice, rain and drastically fluctuating temperatures, is especially hard on roads, so you can expect to encounter potholes on your travels in Northeast Tennessee. Keep an eye out for them, and drive safely.